Colleen Hoover Breaks Silence on It Ends With Us Legal Drama

by

Colleen Hoover is happy to stay outside of the narrative. 

With the legal dispute between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively continuing regarding the It Ends With Us film adaptation, the book’s author has finally spoken out, sharing why she’s choosing to stay out of the public side of the conflict.

She described the situation as feeling like a circus in a recent interview with Elle, published on November 20th. She explained that because real people with real feelings are involved, it’s been deeply upsetting, and has significantly affected some of the actors’ careers. She ultimately expressed sadness over the whole thing.

The report mentioned that Colleen was getting ready to provide testimony in the case within a few weeks when she was interviewed.

“I’m really trying to avoid getting caught up in all the negativity,” she explained. “I could share my own experiences, but I don’t want to draw attention to them or feel like I need to diminish someone else to make myself feel better. I’d prefer to just ignore it and let people form their own opinions.”

Colleen also shared how the recent controversy has affected her family, particularly her mother. Her mother’s own experiences with Colleen’s father actually served as the inspiration for Colleen’s novel about domestic violence.

She explained that the book was based on a difficult true story and revisiting it is deeply upsetting. She feels terrible that the person whose story inspired the book seems to be suffering even more now, dealing with the public reaction to the film, than she did during the original events involving her father. Seeing the negative attention has been particularly painful.

In fact, it’s changed the way she thinks about her work. 

Colleen explained she no longer feels comfortable recommending the work, as the lawsuit surrounding it has become the main focus. She’s even hesitant to discuss it, admitting she feels embarrassed to mention she wrote it and prefers to simply say she’s a writer when asked about her work.

More than a year after the film It Ends With Us was released in August 2024, Justin and Blake have been publicly accusing each other of wrongdoing. Blake first filed a lawsuit claiming Justin and his coworkers at Wayfarer sexually harassed her and damaged her reputation. Justin then responded with his own lawsuit, alleging Blake attempted to defame him and extort money from him.

As of November 2024, Justin and his team were late in resubmitting his revised complaint. However, he is still expected to be in court when Blake’s case goes to trial in March. After the court decides whether Lively can recover her legal costs, Justin’s team will have the option to appeal the dismissal of his lawsuit.

For a closer look at the timeline and many details of the legal drama, read on. 

Four months after the movie version of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us came out, Blake Lively filed a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times. The complaint alleges misconduct by her co-star Justin Baldoni and several associates.

The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel and her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace, and his company Street Relations Inc. as defendants.

Lively claims that Baldoni and those connected to Wayfarer launched a coordinated public relations and online campaign to retaliate after she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior on set. She states that she and other members of the cast and crew experienced behavior from Baldoni and Heath that was invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate.

The actress alleges this campaign caused significant personal and professional damage. The complaint details accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment, breach of contract, intentional emotional distress, negligence, invasion of privacy, and interference with her career opportunities.

The following day, The New York Times published a story detailing a supposed smear campaign against Lively, launched by Baldoni and those working with him. The report referenced Lively’s complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and included quotes from messages sent by Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan, all of which were part of the complaint. The New York Times also made the court documents available on its website. Lively told the newspaper, “I hope my lawsuit exposes these harmful retaliatory tactics and protects others who might be targeted for speaking out about wrongdoing.”

Following Blake Lively’s public complaint, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Tony Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, strongly denied her accusations. In a statement to The New York Times, Freedman called Lively’s claims “shameful” and “categorically false,” characterizing them as a desperate attempt to repair her own reputation, which he said was damaged by her own statements and actions during the film’s promotion. He argued that Lively’s claims were intentionally sensationalized and meant to harm Baldoni and Wayfarer in the media.

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, explaining that this happened before the film’s marketing campaign even began. He added that Wayfarer’s team didn’t take any proactive or retaliatory steps, only responding to media inquiries and monitoring social media to ensure accurate reporting. He emphasized that the released correspondence only showed internal planning and strategy, which is standard practice for public relations professionals, and didn’t prove any wrongdoing on Wayfarer’s part.

William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its relationship with Baldoni after an article was published by The New York Times on December 21st, according to Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company, Endeavor.

WME stated that Blake Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, was not the reason they dropped Baldoni, despite Baldoni later claiming in a lawsuit against The New York Times that Reynolds had pressured WME.

WME released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, saying Baldoni’s claim that Reynolds pressured his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was false. WME, which also represents Reynolds and Lively, confirmed that Baldoni’s former representative wasn’t even at the premiere and that neither Reynolds nor Lively ever pressured them to drop Baldoni as a client.

Following Blake Lively’s legal complaint and a New York Times article detailing her allegations, several public figures voiced their support. Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, shared a message on Instagram thanking Lively for her honesty, kindness, and patience, and encouraging others to read the article. Jenny Slate, who acted alongside Lively, publicly stated her support, calling Lively a leader, loyal friend, and trusted source of emotional support. She described the revealed attack on Lively as “terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening” and praised her bravery. Brandon Sklenar, who played a love interest in the film, shared a link to the complaint published by The New York Times with the message, “For the love of God read this.” Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn, also expressed their solidarity with her.

Liz Plank announced on December 23rd that she was leaving The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Justin Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post, she thanked listeners for their trust and for creating a special community, saying she would miss them and cherished what they had built together. While Plank didn’t explain her reasons for leaving, her departure followed accusations made against Baldoni and his colleagues. She expressed her continued commitment to the values the podcast represented and thanked her followers for their support over the past four years, stating that everyone deserves better. Plank also indicated she would share more information later and would continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold others accountable.

Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for Baldoni, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, are suing Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, and his current PR team – Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan – in New York. The lawsuit, obtained by NBC News, claims Abel and Nathan secretly worked together for months to damage Jones’s and Jonesworks’s reputations, break contracts, and steal clients. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a negative media campaign against Baldoni’s co-star, then blamed Jones for it, even though she wasn’t involved. According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she used to work at Jonesworks. The suit further alleges that Abel and Nathan are now falsely blaming Jones as their own misconduct is revealed, and are continuing to damage her reputation within the industry. The lawsuit also claims Baldoni and Wayfarer violated their contracts with Jonesworks and refused to resolve the dispute privately through mediation. TopMob News has reached out to those named in the suit for comment.

According to a December 23rd report in Variety, Lively’s lawyers received text messages published in The New York Times through a legal request to Jonesworks. Freedman, the attorney for Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and those connected to Wayfarer, stated that none of his clients were asked to provide information and that he plans to sue Jones for sharing messages from Abel’s phone with Lively’s legal team.

On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, and Street Relations filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. The suit claims the newspaper falsely reported on a supposed retaliatory campaign the plaintiffs conducted against someone who had raised concerns about misconduct.

The plaintiffs allege libel, invasion of privacy, and breach of contract, arguing The New York Times based its article on unverified claims and selectively used messages to paint them negatively. They claim the article misrepresented events and that the person making the original accusations was actually the one engaged in a smear campaign.

The New York Times stated it will strongly defend the lawsuit, asserting the story was carefully reported and based on a thorough review of thousands of documents, including accurate and extensive quotes from text messages and emails.

That day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Entertainment, Heath Meldrum, Sarowitz, the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York.

The lawsuit, details of which were obtained by TopMob News, alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and a failure to address harassment. It also includes claims of breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy.

These allegations were initially outlined in a complaint Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) earlier in the month.

Regarding a lawsuit Baldoni and his team filed against The New York Times (which did not name Lively as a defendant), her lawyers stated to TopMob that her claims remain unchanged. They argued that Baldoni’s lawsuit incorrectly suggests Lively’s CRD complaint was a tactic to avoid suing him directly, and that she never intended to pursue legal action. Her lawyers clarified that her recent federal complaint proves this claim false.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against The New York Times, led by Baldoni, have indicated they intend to pursue further legal action. Court documents reveal they believe others were also involved and that this won’t be their only lawsuit. In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Wayfarer’s lawyer, Freedman, confirmed they definitely plan to sue Lively as well.

The controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continued to spread online. Some social media users believed Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, subtly mocked Baldoni in his upcoming film, Deadpool & Wolverine, through the character Nicepool. While Reynolds hasn’t addressed these claims, Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, did speak out. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, Freedman stated that if someone’s wife experienced sexual harassment, the appropriate response wouldn’t be to make fun of the person involved. Instead, he emphasized the importance of taking the situation seriously, filing formal complaints, and following proper legal procedures, rather than turning it into a joke.

Since Lively filed her lawsuit, her lawyers say there’s been a continued pattern of attacks against her. They emphasized that the case isn’t a simple disagreement, but involves serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation supported by evidence. According to the lawyers, Wayfarer and those connected to the company have been unfairly trying to discredit Lively after she attempted to ensure a safe work environment on a film set.

The legal team also pointed out that attempting to shift blame onto the person experiencing harassment – by suggesting they provoked it, misinterpreted it, or lied – is a common tactic used to deflect from accusations of misconduct. They also cautioned against portraying the alleged harasser as the victim. They stated that these strategies downplay serious wrongdoing and that statements made to the media won’t protect Wayfarer from Lively’s claims, which will be fully pursued in court. They reiterated that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces.

In a statement to TopMob, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, pointed out the irony of Blake Lively accusing Baldoni of using the media to his advantage, considering her team allegedly sent heavily edited documents to The New York Times before even filing their complaint.

Freedman also stated they are releasing evidence demonstrating a pattern of bullying and threats aimed at taking control of the film. He claims Lively has a history of using others to deliver threats and get her way, and that they have ample proof to support this.

On January 16th, Heath Baldoni, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm, Vision PR.

The suit, obtained by TopMob News, alleges civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy against all defendants. Lively is specifically accused of breaching an implied agreement to act in good faith, while both she and Reynolds are accused of intentionally disrupting contracts and unfairly damaging the plaintiffs’ economic opportunities, as well as negligently interfering with potential business deals.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. They claim Lively took control of the It Ends With Us film promotion and, with the help of Reynolds, Sloane, and others, attempted to damage their reputations in the press after receiving criticism for her marketing efforts. Lively maintains she followed Sony’s marketing plan.

The lawsuit further alleges the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a damaging and false news report. The Times has defended its reporting.

In a statement, the plaintiffs’ attorney, Freedman, stated that Blake Lively was either misinformed by her team or knowingly misrepresented the truth.

Lively’s lawyers have responded to a lawsuit filed against her, calling it a typical tactic used by abusers. They claim Baldoni is attempting to portray Lively as the problem, alleging she took over the project and caused friction with the cast, after she came forward with evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation.

According to Lively’s team, evidence will demonstrate that others also had negative experiences with Baldoni and the production company, and that Sony specifically asked Lively to oversee the final cut of the film, which ultimately proved successful.

They strongly criticized Baldoni’s reaction, stating he is attempting to blame Lively for the alleged harassment, even suggesting it was her fault. The lawyers emphasized that this strategy – focusing on the victim instead of addressing the abuse – is a desperate attempt to deflect from the evidence and will ultimately fail.

Lawyers for actor Justin Baldoni have released video from the set of It Ends With Us, arguing it disproves claims made by his co-star, Blake Lively. They state the footage shows both actors behaving professionally and respectfully while filming a scene meant to portray a developing romance.

However, Lively’s lawyers disagree, claiming the video actually supports her account of the events. They insist that Baldoni’s actions throughout the scene were unscripted and taken without her prior agreement.

According to Lively’s team, the video clearly shows her discomfort and attempts to redirect the scene to a verbal exchange. They believe any woman who has experienced inappropriate workplace contact will recognize her reaction.

The couple asked the judge handling their case to prevent Freedman, the lead lawyer for the opposing side, from making public statements, hoping this would ensure a fair legal process.

A seven-minute voice memo reportedly sent by director Baldoni to actress Lively during the filming of It Ends With Us was leaked online. The recording suggests Baldoni was discussing a rooftop scene Lively had revised and how she presented those changes to him, allegedly with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and singer Taylor Swift. He praised their collaborative creativity, saying, “The three of you together, it’s unbelievable.” Baldoni also appears to apologize for not initially being enthusiastic about Lively’s script, admitting, “I messed up. I will admit and apologize when I fail.”

A court date of March 9, 2026, was scheduled one month after Lively officially sued Baldoni.

According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Stephen Baldoni has updated his lawsuit against Camille Lively, her colleagues Reynolds and Sloane, and Sloane’s PR firm, Vision PR, Inc. The updated filing now also includes The New York Times. Baldoni claims Lively and her team spent months secretly working together and providing false information to the New York Times. He alleges the newspaper selectively used and changed communications, removing important context and deliberately editing them to be misleading.

Baldoni published a website detailing his lawsuit against Lively, including the latest version of his legal complaint and a chronological overview of key events. This overview featured what Baldoni claimed were screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and himself.

The website went live just a month after Baldoni’s legal team announced their intention to publicly release all text messages between the parties involved.

In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s lawyer stated their goal was to ensure transparency. “We want the public to see the evidence and come to their own conclusions,” he said.

Lively’s lawyers have updated her lawsuit, stating that two other women who worked on the film It Ends With Us also felt uncomfortable with Baldoni’s behavior on set.

The updated complaint, reviewed by TopMob News, asserts that Lively wasn’t the only one to raise concerns. It claims that these experiences, along with Lively’s, were recorded starting in May 2023 and that Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time, confirming he was aware other women were also uncomfortable.

The lawsuit doesn’t reveal the names of these two witnesses, citing a threatening environment created by the defendants’ alleged retaliation. Lively says they will testify in court.

Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, dismissed the claims as unreliable hearsay and suggested the women are unwilling to support Lively’s accusations publicly.

Following accusations by Baldoni that Sloane spread false and damaging rumors painting him as a “sexual predator” and ran a discrediting campaign at Lively’s behest, Sloane requested the lawsuit be dropped.

According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claims the accusations against her are unfounded and that she was brought into the lawsuit only to divert attention from the claims made by Lively.

Lively hired Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff for the CIA, to help with the legal strategy for the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit happening in New York. This information was shared with Variety on February 28th by a member of Lively’s legal team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Let me tell you about a fascinating career trajectory! I’ve been following the work of someone named Shapiro for a while now. He actually started out with the CIA during the Obama years – from 2013 to 2015. After that, he moved into the private sector, first as a VP at Visa, handling global security and communications. Then, he took on a really interesting role at Airbnb, leading their crisis management team. After three years helping Airbnb navigate challenges, he decided to launch his own firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC, putting all that experience to work for a variety of clients. It’s a great example of how skills built in one area can translate so successfully into others.

According to documents obtained by TopMob News, The New York Times has asked a court to dismiss them from a $400 million lawsuit. The lawsuit also involves Lively, Baldoni, and the company Sloane and Sloane.

In a court filing, the newspaper asserted that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased account that had attracted significant media attention, but maintained that The Times should not be involved in the conflict. Lawyers for The New York Times also pointed out that Baldoni and his colleagues at Wayfarer initially sued the paper for $250 million, but that claim was dropped when they expanded the lawsuit to $400 million and included The New York Times as a defendant, according to documents obtained by Deadline.

U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has temporarily paused the exchange of information and documents in a case brought against The New York Times, following the newspaper’s request. According to court documents obtained by TopMob News, the judge agreed to halt the process while he considers The New York Times’ motion to dismiss the case.

Judge Liman stated that the newspaper presented a strong argument that its motion to dismiss is likely to be successful. He also indicated that delaying the case wouldn’t unfairly harm the opposing side, led by Mr. Baldoni.

A spokesperson for The New York Times told TopMob News that they were pleased with the court’s decision, which acknowledges the important First Amendment rights at stake and prevents Mr. Baldoni from unnecessarily burdening the newspaper with requests in a case they believe should not have been filed.

Following accusations from Baldoni that Lively was using her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain more say in the film adaptation of It Ends With Us—and after Baldoni’s lawyers attempted to subpoena Swift—a spokesperson for the singer responded.

A spokesperson confirmed to TopMob News on May 9th that Taylor Swift had absolutely no involvement in the movie. They stated she wasn’t part of the casting process, didn’t contribute to the music, and never even viewed a draft of the film or offered any feedback.

As a huge Taylor Swift fan, I was really surprised to see all this drama around her involvement with the film. Apparently, she simply allowed them to use her song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,’ just like nineteen other artists did. It feels like this legal request is less about actual facts and more about trying to get attention by using Taylor’s name for headlines – classic tabloid tactics, honestly. It’s frustrating to see her pulled into this when she just licensed a song, like so many others.

Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.

The judge dismissed the lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Sloane, Sloane’s company Vision PR, and The New York Times. The judge determined that Baldoni and his lawyers didn’t provide enough evidence to support claims of defamation or civil extortion.

After the lawsuit against her was dropped, Lively shared on Instagram that she understands the hardship of being sued in retaliation, and the feeling of being unfairly targeted. She also pointed out that many people don’t have the means to defend themselves in these situations.

I was so moved by her words. She said she’s filled with love and gratitude for everyone who supported her – people she knows and even those she doesn’t. She promised she’ll always be thankful for us and will continue to fight for our needs. It really meant a lot to hear her say that.

Baldoni’s lawyer told TopMob News that Lively’s claim of winning is incorrect.

The lawyer stated that this case centers around false claims of sexual harassment, subsequent retaliation, and a fabricated attempt to damage Ms. Lively’s reputation. He pointed out that Ms. Lively’s legal team themselves admit the alleged smear campaign can’t be traced, simply because it never actually occurred.

Lively gave a deposition at her lawyers’ office in New York. Despite reports describing it as a tense confrontation with Baldoni, her legal team later submitted a statement challenging the idea that she required a large group of witnesses to support her testimony.

According to Lively’s lawyer, Baldoni was present in the room with the other people she was suing, and their lawyers too.

Read More

2025-11-20 17:20